1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power reserve mechanism and indicator unit for same and, more particularly, to a power reserve mechanism and indicator unit for same which indicates a power storage amount using two indicator hands and the like.
2. Background of the Invention
FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a train wheel structure of a power reserve structure. FIG. 7 is a top view showing the train wheel of the power reserve structure shown in FIG. 6. The power reserve mechanism 500 train wheel is structured by a barrel complete 501 accommodating a spiral spring as a power source, a ratchet wheel 502 arranged on a dial side of the barrel complete 501, a intermediate planetary wheel gear 503 in mesh with the barrel complete 501, a planetary wheel 504 rotatably arranged in an eccentric part of the intermediate planetary wheel gear 503, a planetary wheel gear 505 and planetary pinion 506 fixed to the planetary wheel 504 in a form sandwiching the intermediate planetary wheel gear 503, a sun wheel 507 in mesh with the planetary pinion 506 of the planetary wheel 504, on the other hand a second sun wheel 508 in mesh with the planetary wheel gear 505 of the planetary wheel 504, a intermediate indicator wheel 510 in mesh with the sun pinion 509 of the sun wheel 507, a indicator wheel 512 in mesh with the intermediate indicator pinion 511 of the intermediate indicator wheel 510, and a intermediate planetary wheel 514 in mesh with the ratchet wheel 502 and the second sun wheel gear 513 of the second sun wheel 508.
A reference numeral 515 is an indication degree determining pin. The intermediate indicator wheel 510 is structured to slip at a contact point when a predetermined difference of torque is caused between the intermediate indicator wheel gear 5101 and the intermediate indicator wheel pinion 511. The indicator wheel 512 is provided with a fan-shaped cutout 516 to view the indication degree determining pin 515. The indication degree determining pin 515 is secured to a second wheel train bridge 601 to regulate an angle of rotation of the indicator wheel 512.
Next, the operation of the power reserve mechanism will be explained. When spring power to the spiral spring, the ratchet wheel 502 is first rotated through a crown, winding stem and crown wheel from an outside. Because the intermediate planetary wheel gear 503 is regulated in rotation by the barrel complete 501, the same intermediate planetary wheel gear 503 is a substantially fixing gear. The rotation of ratchet wheel 502 is transmitted through the intermediate planetary wheel 514, second sun gear 508, planetary gear 504, sun gear 507, intermediate indicator wheel 510 and indicator wheel 512, in this order. This causes the indicator wheel 512 to rotate leftward (reverse to a rotation direction in usual hand movement). The rotation of indicator wheel 512 causes the indicator hand 517 mounted on the indicator wheel 512 to rotate in a spiral spring power storing direction.
If the spiral spring achieves a fully wound state, the fan-shaped cutout 516 of the indicator wheel 512 and the indication degree determining pin 515 are brought into engagement to thereby regulate rotation of the indicator wheel 512. In this case, slip occurs at a contact plane between the intermediate indicator wheel gear 5101 and the intermediate indicator wheel pinion 510. Due to this, even if the crown is excessively wound, the indicator hand 517 is unchanged in position without imposing a load onto the train wheel.
Next, during usual movement of the hands, the power on the barrel complete 501 is transmitted from the barrel complete gear 5011 to the intermediate planetary wheel gear 503. On the other hand, the second sun wheel 508 coaxial to the intermediate planetary wheel gear 503 is in mesh with the ratchet wheel 502 through the intermediate planetary wheel 514. Because this ratchet wheel 502 is out of rotation during usual hand movement, the second sun wheel 508 is a fixing gear. Consequently, when the intermediate planetary gear wheel 503 rotates, the planetary wheel 504 of the intermediate planetary wheel gear 503 makes movement of rotation and revolution along the second sun wheel 508. Because the sun wheel gear 5072 and the planetary pinion 506 are secured on a sun stem 5071 and in mesh with each other, the rotation of planetary wheel 504 is transmitted to the indicator wheel 512 through the sun wheel gear 5072, sun stem 5071, sun pinion 509 and intermediate indicator wheel 510. The rightward rotation of indicator wheel 512 also rotates rightward the indicator hand 517 mounted on the indicator wheel 512. It will be understood that as this indicator hand 517 rotates rightward the power storage amount on the spiral spring decreases.
However, the prior art power reserve mechanism 500 using the planetary wheel gear mechanism comprising the planetary wheel 504, etc. have involved the following problems:
(1) cost increase because of increased number of movement parts,
(2) difficult and troublesome assembling because of increased number of movement assembling steps;
(3) reduced freedom in method of indicating a spiral spring power storage amount,
(4) much sectional space required.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is an object to provide a power reserve mechanism and indicator unit thereof which is
(1) capable of reducing the number of parts,
(2) easy to assemble,
(3) obtain a freedom of a method of indicating a spiral spring power storage amount,
(4) capable of reducing sectional space.
In order to achieve the above object, a power reserve mechanism comprises: a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a ratchet wheel through a train wheel; a first indicator member attached on the first power reserve wheel; a second power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a barrel complete through a train wheel; a second indicator member attached on the second power reserve wheel to change relative to the first indicator member; wherein a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator member and the second indicator member.
That is, a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a relative change of the first indicator member and the second indicator member. Where a remaining amount is indicated by one indicator member (indicator hand) as in the conventional, there is a need to rotate the one indicator member in respective directions thereby requiring a planetary gear mechanism. However, indication by a mere relative change requires rotation only in one direction. Accordingly, a planetary gear mechanism is not necessary. Also, the structure is simple because only relative change is made by the two indicator members. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced and assembling is facilitated. Also, indicator freedom increases. Furthermore, because it is possible to structure by simple two train wheels, space efficiency is good due to the planar structure.
An indicator unit of the power reserve mechanism is disposed coaxially relative to the first power reserve wheel connected to the first indicator member and the second power reserve wheel connected to the second indicator member, so that a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator member and the second indicator member. By this construction, it is possible to determine a spiral spring power storage amount from the relative position relationship between both indicator members. Furthermore, in order to transmit rotation to the indicator members, separate train wheels may be connected respectively from the ratchet wheel and the barrel complete.
In another a power reserve mechanism comprises: a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a ratchet wheel through a train wheel; a first indicator hand attached on the first power reserve wheel; a second power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a barrel complete through a train wheel; a second indicator hand attached on the second power reserve wheel to change relative to the first indicator hand; wherein a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator hand and the second indicator hand.
In this manner, each indicator member may, for example, be an indicator hand. Where indicating by indicator hands, a remaining amount can be determined by a spacing between the first indicator hand and the second indicator hand.
In another embodiment, a power reserve mechanism comprises: a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a ratchet wheel through a train wheel; a fun-shaped scale plate attached on the first power reserve wheel; a second power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a barrel complete through a train wheel; an indicator hand attached on the second power reserve wheel to change relative to the scale plate; wherein a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a division point of the scale plate pointed by the indicator hand.
In this manner, where the indicator member on a ratchet wheel side uses a fan-shaped scale plate and the indicator member on a barrel complete side uses an indicator hand, a remaining amount can be determined by a position of the indicator hand on the scale plate.
In another embodiment, a power reserve mechanism comprises: a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a ratchet wheel through a train wheel; an indicator hand attached on the first power reserve wheel; a second power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation of a barrel complete through a train wheel; a scale plate attached on the second power reserve wheel to change relative to the indicator hand; wherein a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a division point of the scale plate pointed by the indicator hand.
In this manner, where the indicator member on the ratchet wheel side uses an indicator hand and the indicator member on the barrel complete side uses a scale plate, a remaining amount can be determined by a position of the indicator hand on the scale plate.
In another embodiment, a power reserve mechanism comprises: an intermediate power reserve train wheel for transmitting rotation of a ratchet wheel; a first power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation from the first intermediate power reserve train wheel; a first indicator member attached on the first power reserve wheel; an intermediate second power reserve train wheel for transmitting rotation of a barrel complete; a second power reserve wheel for obtaining rotation from the intermediate second power reserve train wheel; a second indicator member attached on the second power reserve wheel to change relative to the first indicator member; wherein a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator member and second indicator member.
By this structure, a remaining amount can be indicated by a relative position of the first indicator member and the second indicator member. Accordingly, a planetary gear structure is not necessarily provided in order to obtain rotation in respective directions. Also, a power reserve mechanism can be structured by a simple train wheel. As a result, the number of parts can be educed and assembling is facilitated. Also, indicator freedom increases. Furthermore space efficiency is good because of the planar structure.
Also, an indicator unit for a power reserve mechanism according to claim 7 is structured coaxially by a first power reserve wheel attached with a first indicator member and a second power reserve wheel attached with a second indicator member, and characterized in that a spiral spring power storage amount is indicated by a difference between the first indicator member of the first power reserve wheel and second indicator member of the second power reserve wheel.
If the first indicator member and the second indicator member are coaxially structured, a spiral spring power storage amount can be determined from a relative position relationship between the both members. Incidentally, in order to transmit rotation to the both members, separate train wheels may be connected respectively from the ratchet wheel and the barrel complete.
Also, an indicator unit for a power reserve mechanism according to claim 8 is structured, in the above power reserve mechanism indicator unit, such that the first indicator member is an indicator hand or scale plate, and the second indicator member being a scale plate or indicator hand.
In this manner, the indicator members include an indicator hand and a scale plate. The indicator hands may be respective scale plates or a combination of an indicator hand and a scale plate.